Ike's eyes fluttered open, his breaths shallow and ragged as he returned to consciousness. The afternoon sun glowed golden in the sky, bathing the devastated hills and surrounding forests in a warm, serene light that reflected off the muddied snow. It would have been beautiful if not for everything that had led us here.

Brandosyeus, stood towering over Ike, his face etched with lines of worry and anger, his arms crossed in a defiance. He shot a quick glance into my direction—a glare that spoke volumes of where I stood in his current estimation.

Ike sat up, groaning, pushing his back against the rough bark of an ancient, splintered tree. He looked around, his gaze lingering on each of us, his expression a mix of confusion and realization. “I... I remember now,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “It was like waking from a veil, a haze that clouded everything.”

Brandosyeus nodded. “Schustak. That little gobbo trashling was using us.”

They both turned their eyes on me, and I felt myself shrink a little as I wondered what thoughts might be passing through their minds.

“But why?” I asked.

Ike smiled grimly. “He was using us to equip you and train you. To level you up. We’ve invested about all of our party pool, Ryan. And Jeldorain,” he added quickly in a way that suggested he’d suddenly recalled the desperate rage of the demon just hours ago. “Jeldorain's attack,” he continued, “it was powerful, more so than we anticipated. It drained Schustak completely, stripping away his charm that had ensnared us.”

“It comes from the armor. It’s called Soul Sync and I get the feeling it is well over-powered.”

Brandosyeus spat on the ground, a snarl on his face as he turned in the opposite direction. I reached out an arm, but Ike shook his head. “What’s done is done. We’ll all deal with it as we can. But Soul Sync is not ever that powerful. A rare power maybe, but not one that does this. Something about the two of you melded together in that body has made this. And this isn’t necessarily a good thing. You are like something of the Tinkers from the Great Southern Continent. A walking explosion waiting to wipe out all around you. It’s something that must be tempered and conquered to be useful.”

I nodded. “So, you were under enchantment when you attacked the caravan?” I asked, seeking confirmation.

Ike nodded solemnly. “Yes. We are rebels, true, but Schustak ambushed us. He twisted our minds, bending us to his will. We were on our way to ambush the caravan, but not of our own volition. Ryan . . . this was planned out well in advance. And I’m not sure I understand all of the logic behind it. But whatever the reasoning, this puts the whole Shadowed Vanguard in danger,” he growled. “We need to find Kevinar and depart immediately.”

Brandosyeus turned back to us, his voice unnaturally stony and his fists clenched. “We stay. Tonight I shall burn Jon and off his spirit to the Eternal Forest. It is our way, our sacred duty.”

Ike, still weak, nodded reluctantly. “I understand. I'll go find Kevinar.” He pushed himself up, steadying himself against the tree before venturing out into the forest.

As Ike disappeared amongst the trees, I turned to help Brandosyeus, but he refused to face me, walking off and beginning to collect wooden detritus for the night’s pyre. I followed behind him, helping collect wood for the fire. The task was silent except for the occasional snap of twigs, and the crunch and mulching of feet stomping through snow and mud. Brandosyeus's mood was sour, his actions brusque. Every so often, he'd shoot me a glare, his eyes like flint striking steel.

I opened my mouth several times to speak, but closed it each time, no words proffered. I knew why he was upset, and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. The bard was enchanted no longer, so I didn’t even know if he would accept my friendship. And given that Jeldorain was the one who’d killed Jon, I knew I was lucky to still be a member of the group.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Probably I hadn’t been drummed out simply because I would be useful in their upcoming attempt to warn the Shadowed Vanguard. Having a demon on your side with the kind of power I was sporting was surely better than a few bardic spells and an enchanted glaive.

We continued our work in silence, the pile of wood growing steadily. The air was filled with the scent of pine and earth, but despite the pleasant smell my mind kept dwelling on the uncertain path that awaited us beyond the flames of the pyre.

As the sun dipped lower in the sky, painting the horizon in hues of crimson and orange, Ike reemerged from the dense forest, his figure accompanied by that of Kevinar. Kevinar's appearance was strikingly disheveled - his clothes torn, his face smeared with dirt and streaked with sweat, yet his demeanor was oddly calm, almost nonchalant, as if being buried alive was an everyday inconvenience rather than a brush with death.

“Found him trying to dig his way out of a shallow grave,” Ike announced, his voice laced with a hint of dry humor as he helped Kevinar towards us.

“Sorry,” I said, nodding my head to him. Within me, Jeldorain simply stayed quiet.

“Seems Jeldorain’s paranoia wasn’t entirely unfounded,” Kevinar chuckled, brushing off a bit of caked earth from his shoulders. “It wasn’t pleasant, but it was very useful. Indeed, I must admit, I never expected to be thanking someone for their distrust, but in this case I expect it might have saved my life.”

Jeldorain smiled. I stared at his translucent image standing next to me, a giant grin on his face, and shook my head at what a sudden turn the demon had taken. One massive outburst and he was now pleasant.

“He tried to murder you,” Brandosyeus snapped. He had turned from his pyre arrangement, his brows furrowed and his face grim. “There is a reason that the infernals and devils were put away in different lands than ours. They’re too dangerous and too unpredictable.”

Kevinar shook his head, his eyes meeting Brandosyeus’s gaze squarely. “Jeldorain was right to be suspicious. The veil lifted, you felt it. We were duped. As to the unpredictability of infernals; I can assure you that they are quite methodical and predictable in what they do.”

Brandosyeus growled and turned back to his dead friend, adding sticks to the pile.

There was a moment of silence, dusk falling all around them as Brandosyeus blew a brief tune from his panpipes, a small ball of flame arcing through the air to hit the pile. The fire from the pyre flickered to life, casting a warm, dancing light over the somber faces.

Ike stepped forward, his expression solemn. “Brandosyeus,” he began, his voice steady, “we aren’t many and given what we know now about Schustak, the rebellion is in great danger. We need Ryan and Jeldorain. Both of them are victims, and both of them have great reason to help us with our cause while we help them find a way to separate from one another and go back to where the came from.”

“Jon . . .” Brandosyseus uttered.

“In honoring Jon, you’ve shown us the value of unity, of standing together against all odds. Let his memory be the star that guides us,” Kevinar said. Brandosyeus turned to look at the flame, and all at once words in the Sylvan language poured from his lips. Golden and beautiful, they swirled around us like the gusts of fresh-fallen leaves in the beginning of the autumn. I couldn’t understand the words, but his subsequent hand waving and amplified muttering made it clear to me that he was now uttering the funeral rites that he had promised before. After making a full circle around the pyre, he apparated two gold coins to his hands and tossed them into the flames.

“Good-bye, old friend,” he said, turning and walking away from us into the darkness of the forests.

Watching him until he disappeared from view, Ike turned to me. “I think it goes without saying that you have first watch tonight. Have a talk with Jeldorain, make a demon’s pact, and make sure that what happened today never happens again. Because if there is any other problem that occurs like this in this way, I will never again hesitate to put you down.”

“Understood,” I said, nodding. I stood, watching as Kevinar went into his trance against a tree and Ike rolled himself in furs, then slept. The flames of the pyre cast their flickering shadows across my face as I stared into them, lost in thought. I knew what I had to do, but the thought of making a pact with Jeldorain made me uneasy. He was peculiar and he certainly didn't act like humans in his dealing with me. Now that the time was at hand, the idea of making a deal with him was daunting. But I also knew that it was necessary if I wanted to have a say over the body I inhabited, and have a chance at getting back home.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, reaching out with my senses to find Jeldorain. He was there, lurking on the edge of my mind, waiting for me to acknowledge him. I opened my eyes and spoke softly to the fire.

“Jeldorain, I know you're there. I need to make a pact with you.”

There was a moment of silence before he replied, his voice like a whisper in my ear.

Is it time, oh great champion?

“Yes. Let's make a deal that will keep us both alive,” I whispered.

Alone and literally left to my own infernals, I turned into myself, ready to make our pact.